The Center for Natural Resources Development and Protection investigates practical and efficient approaches to environmental and energy resource utilization. Research projects include assessment and remediation studies of pollution in natural settings and the evaluation of natural resources for the potential production of energy, especially renewable energy. Current projects include determining the trajectory of the underwater oil plume in the Gulf of Mexico and evaluating remediation techniques  for oil spills, including using microorganisms to break down the oil. Projects have also been initiated to study the impact of oil releases in high salinity (brine) pools, commonly encountered at depths exceeding a mile in the ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Little is known to date about the effect of high-salinity water on the behavior of either oil or spill countermeasures, such as applied dispersants.